Foldable drying racks which can be set up outdoors or indoors, such as in a kitchen or in a bathtub of a dwelling, and then be collapsed for transport or storage, have been known for many years. The structure of such drying racks generally comprises a rectangular rack portion,-which is held horizontally by legs at each end of the rack portion. The legs at one end typically are two legs crossing each other and hinged together to form an "X" shape, one upper end of which is affixed to the rack portion, and one end which is detachable from the rack portion, to allow the rack to be folded. A limitation of such structures is that they provide only a limited capacity for the "footprint" they occupy when expanded. An example of this basic design is shown in Cassel, U.S. Design Pat. No. 322,698. Moreover, many of these structures are rickety and may collapse if overloaded with wet clothing. A variant of this basic design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,131,205 to Malecki, which discloses two lower U-shaped rigid frame and two upper U-shaped rigid frames. The upper frames are so arranged that a plurality of hanging bars extend in the same horizontal plane, whereas the lower frames have a plurality of hanging bars spaced from one another in parallel vertical planes. This structure has a space between the upper and lower frames that cannot be filled with hanging bars without compromising the collapsibility of this drying rack.
A different design is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,807,766 to Compagnucci, discloses a drying rack having a plurality of U-shaped frames so interconnected with one another that the frames are displaceable between an unfolded position and collapsed positions in a rapid manner. Although this structure allows the frames to be opened or closed rapidly and easily, it is cumbersome in its collapsed position and, thus, requires a relatively large storage space.
The U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,123 discloses a collapsible clothes drying rack that includes a plurality of X-shaped frames pivotally connected to one another and extending in a vertical plane on top of one another. This structure also requires a substantial storage space in its folded position, and has spaces formed between adjacent frames that are not possible to fill with hanging bars without radically changing the original design.
What is desired, therefore, is an expandable and collapsible structure having an high capacity for holding hanging articles, for a relatively small footprint, and which is easy to open and close, and which is attractive in appearance.